by David Leon Moore, USA TODAY Sports

by David Leon Moore, USA TODAY Sports

Pitcher Zack Greinke was introduced to the Los Angeles news media Tuesday as the latest fabulously rich and famous Dodger.

Greinke's deal -- six years, $147 million -- is the largest total amount for a right-handed pitcher in MLB history and the largest per-year average -- $24.5 million -- for any pitcher.

At a Dodger Stadium news conference, Greinke was flanked by general manager Ned Colletti and minority owner Magic Johnson -- Colletti the man acquiring players and Johnson part of the group fronting the money to make it happen.

When asked if money was no object with the Dodgers, Johnson wearily climbed the podium and simply stated, "We want to win."

Later, he felt the front office's work was largely done, and that the players should expect to win.

"There's no pressure on us," Johnson said. "We said we were going to spend money. We said we were going to improve the team. We've done that. We've done our part. "The Dodger fans are very excited. The players in MLB know that we're here trying to win. "We hope the players enjoy the pressure. When I was with the Lakers, we knew every year the bull's eye was on us. But we loved it. "

Beyond the money, Greinke sought opportunity of another type.

"No. 1 was going to a team that would have a chance to win championships for several years," he said.

He also came away impressed in conversations with Colletti and team President Stan Kasten.

"I don't want to make his head too big, but I thought Stan Kasten was the smartest guy I ever talked to," Greinke said.

Greinke was introduced the day after the Dodgers unveiled Korean left-hander Hyun-Jin Ryu, who signed for six years and $36 million. Including the Dodgers' posting fee for the negotiating rights, their investment in Ryu is just short of $62 million.

Then there's the $260 million in salary the Dodgers took on in their blockbuster trade last season with the Boston Red Sox, with Los Angeles acquiring the huge contracts of Adrian Gonzalez, Carl Crawford and Josh Beckett.

Their 2013 payroll is estimated at $225 million, a record.

Of course, the $2.15 billion paid by the Dodgers' new owners, Guggenheim Baseball Partners, was a record, too, and it drastically changed the direction of the franchise, which had fallen into bankruptcy under previous owner Frank McCourt.

"Dodger pride is on the way back," Johnson said.

The Dodgers envision Greinke as a key part of that. As he battled an anxiety disorder early in his career, then won the 2009 AL Cy Young Award and his free agency neared, there were misgivings about how Greinke might handle a huge market after pitching in Kansas City and Milwaukee before a July trade to the Angels.

Greinke parried such a query Tuesday with his dry wit.

"It's definitely more than I've had before," he said of the assembled media Tuesday. "This doesn't bother me. What bothers me is doing one after the other and answering the same questions. The answers are just going to get worse."

There might be one more Dodgers salary record on the near horizon. Cy Young Award-winning left-hander Clayton Kershaw, 24, who will make $11 million in 2013, is eligible for salary arbitration in 2014 and free agency in 2015.

The Dodgers have said they are interested in talking about an extension to avoid arbitration and free agency.

Would they consider $30 million a year too much?

Whatever they are willing to spend, there will at some point be games to play, and the Dodgers didn't play them very well last season even after the Boston deal had seemingly made them the favorites to rally to win the NL West.

In terms of wins and losses, while Ryu, 25, is a big question mark given his jump from the Korean professional league directly to the majors, Greinke seems like a sure thing to give the Dodgers another ace to go with Kershaw.

Greinke, 29, won the AL Cy Young Award with the Kansas City Royals in 2009, a dramatic personal triumph given that in 2006 he began the season on the 60-day disabled list with depression and social anxiety disorder.

Last year, pitching for the Brewers and the Angels, Greinke was 15-5 with a 3.48 ERA.